Joy Unleashed: The Story of Bella, the Unlikely Therapy Dog

We rescued Bella from a shelter in NJ, but she had been found on Dead Dog Beach in Puerto Rico and flown to the States at about 3 months old. She was a Whippet and Terrier mix--full of energy and not easy to train. My vet suggested that she needed a job, so for two years, she and I took agility classes and even competed in a few trials. She was fast and good at agility, but had such an independent streak, that it was hard to know what she would do. When she was five, I had her certified as a therapy dog --which turned out to be work we both loved. We started in hospitals, then nursing homes, schools, special education classrooms, colleges, miliatry bases, and in each place she comforted people and seemed to know exactly what they needed.

This book is also my story as I lost my job of 16 years as a career coach with a major outplacement firm just as Bella was certified. She helped me make this huge transition, which including selling out house in PA and moving to CT. For anyone who has wondered if his or her dog could be a therapy dog, this book is for you.